PYONGYANG - Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), discussed the strengthening of relations between China and the DPRK during a meeting with a visiting senior Chinese official on Thursday.

Kim asked Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, to convey his best regards to Chinese President Hu Jintao and other state and party leaders.

It was the unswerving will of the DPRK government and the governing Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) to carry on the legacy of late leader Kim Jong-il and to deepen the DPRK-China traditional friendship, the DPRK leader said.

The DPRK would work together with China to bring their friendship, established and nurtured by the older generations of leaders on both sides, to a higher level, Kim said.

Wang expressed appreciation for the great attention and enthusiasm by the DPRK leader in the consolidation and development of the China-DPRK friendship.

The CPC and the Chinese government viewed China-DPRK relations from a strategic and long-term prospective and it was an unswerving policy to consolidate and develop the China-DPRK friendly cooperative ties, Wang said.

"We are ready to work jointly with the DPRK side to maintain high-level contacts, strengthen party-to-party exchanges, and boost practical cooperation," Wang said.

He added the two sides should also enhance strategic communication and coordination on major global and regional issues and make unremitting efforts to safeguard peace and stability on the Korea Peninsula and achieve lasting peace in Northeast Asia.

Speaking of domestic situations, Kim said developing the economy and improving the people's livelihoods to let the Korean people lead a happy and civilized life was the goal of the WPK. The Korean people were, uniting closely around the KWP, concentrating their efforts on building their nation to actively promote various undertakings of socialism in the country.

The DPRK would as always make active efforts to safeguard peace and stability on the peninsula, Kim said.

Praising the Chinese people's remarkable achievements in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, under the leadership of the CPC, Kim wished for a successful opening of the 18th National Congress of the CPC, and greater achievements by the Chinese people in implementing the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) and in the endeavor to build a well-off society under the leadership of the CPC.

A Chinese delegation headed by Wang arrived here Monday. During the visit, Kim Yong-il, head of International Department of the WPK, met Wang and the two sides had a profound exchange of views with regard to bilateral relations and issues of common concern.